By TERRY PUGH
The electoral race to fill a vacancy on Warman City Council is officially underway.
Six candidates are running in the municipal by-election set for Wednesday, September 3. The Advance Poll takes place Wednesday, August 27. The voting location for both the Advance Poll and Election Day Poll is at the Brian King Centre. Full details on the election are available on the City of Warman website.
The candidates for City Councillor are all residents of Warman. They include (in alphabetical order):
* Anthony (Tony) Andre, a senior planner with the City of Saskatoon;
* Grace Beck, a legal assistant in estate planning and administration;
* Shaun Cripps, a journeyman plumber and small business owner who previously served as Chair of the Saskatchewan Construction Association.
* Corey Halford, founder and President of Hawforce Consulting, a firm which focuses on leadership development and training programs;
* Darla Schwartz, a licensed realtor serving residential, commercial and agricultural clients;
* Amar Vasani, Regional Director of Sales for IGH Hotels in Saskatoon.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Warman City Councillor Doug Ramage in March, 2025. Ramage resigned for family reasons.
According to candidate profiles posted on the City of Warman website, the main issues in the campaign include: the proposed regional high school, snow removal policies, taxation and traffic safety.
In his profile posted on the city’s website, Anthony Andre said his priorities include: “a timely and cost effective procurement for a new regional middle-high school site, replacing the fixed $150 recreation levy with a more equitable taxation model, and transparent infrastructure investment.” He goes on to state that he “is committed to building a community that is thoughtfully planned, inclusive, affordable, and fiscally sustainable.”
Grace Beck, wife of current City Councillor Richard Beck, is a long-time volunteer with the Warman Community Association and former Chair of the Warman Library Board. She states in her profile posted on the city website that her priorities include establishing a joint-use high school “within the city limits of Warman.”
She also wants to see expanded access to health care professionals and an ambulance service based in Warman; traffic lights at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Clubhouse Boulevard; and increased family and youth activity centres. She adds that she wants to “keep taxpayer funds within the city limits of Warman” and lobby to have Warman receive its fair share of provincial funding for infrastructure projects.
Shaun Cripps is the only candidate with previous City Council experience. He won a Warman City Council by-election in 2022 and served as a Councillor until 2024. He ran unsuccessfully for re-election last fall.
In his profile posted on the city’s website, Cripps states: “As a small business owner, I make thoughtful, practical decisions every day to support my employees, customers, and community. I’ll bring that same common-sense, business-minded approach to City Council.”
Corey Halford is a key spokesperson for a citizen-led coalition known as ‘Future Forward for Warman’, which is advocating for construction of a regional joint-use high school in the RM of Corman Park between Martensville and Warman.
In his profile posted on the city’s website, Halford stated his priorities include: “Removing Council-imposed roadblocks to advance the regional high school project; launching public consultation to review and improve the City’s snow clearing policy; promoting transparency and accountability in Council meetings and decisions; strengthening regional partnerships that deliver mutual benefits; and provide leadership to enhance the City’s relationship with the provincial government.”
Darla Schwartz has previously served on the Board of the Prairie Sky Chamber of Commerce. In her profile posted on the city’s website, she states: “I am a consistent supporter of community programs and local sports teams.
My family has proudly called Warman home since 2005. I am running for City Council because I care deeply about our city’s future. I believe in responsible growth, transparent leadership, and keeping Warman a safe, thriving place for all.”
Amar Vasani is hoping to provide a fresh perspective on council. In his profile on the city’s website, Vasani said he wants to make “Warman an even better place to live by addressing our healthcare system in our municipality, establishing better programs to bring business to Warman, and making our utilities affordable.”
Vasani said he believes council needs to be fully informed in order to make the right decisions on issues such as the proposed new high school, snow removal and traffic safety. “We need to calibrate and make the right decision together with all the stakeholders involved, which will benefit our city for years to come,” he states in his profile.